South Shore manager Mike Zaccariello, in typical Staten Island swagger, loves his club’s chances today in the opening round of the Little League World Series vs. the Northwest entrant from Mercer Island, Wash.

Zaccariello feels his 18-0 South Shore club should be considered favorites in the 1 p.m. opener on ESPN against the 15-0 club from Seattle’s suburbs.

“Why not? We’re coming out of a state that has over 500 Little Leagues,” Zaccariello said after the team’s practice. “We’re a tough state to get out of. Anyone emerging from New York State has got to have something. I feel it means a lot. It means we’re battle-ready. We’ve probably faced bettered teams but you never know. The games are played on the field. But I feel 100 percent confident.”

South Shore, the Mid-Atlantic representative, will play three round-robin games, facing a powerful Warner Robins (Ga.) team tomorrow and Urbandale (Iowa) on Monday before finding out if it advances to the next phase of the 16-team World Series. Only one New York City team has won the whole enchilada — Staten Island in 1964.

“I’ve preached focus,” Zaccariello said. “It’s a chance of a lifetime. It doesn’t come around too often. We haven’t been here in 18 years. You go on that premise, they’ll all be 30 and coaching their own kids when South Shore gets here again.”

This is a club built on defense, discipline and pitching. Their practices show it, with Zaccariello railing at every miscue.

“That looks horrible for a center fielder for Mid-Atlantic,” Zaccariello screamed after one flyball flub.

Because of scheduling snafus, South Shore’s 8:30 a.m. field practice was delayed twice and their batting-cage appointment scrapped altogether.

“We did infield and outfield drills and were relaxed and looked good,” catcher James Morisano said before boarding a float for last night’s parade. “I think we’re going to do good. This has been great and fun but we can’t wait to start playing the games.”

Today’s clash should be a pitcher’s duel between two dynamic left-handers in South Shore’s Angelo Navetta (8-0) and Mercer Island’s William Mansfield. Both have ERAs under 1.00. Whispers are Navetta has a tired arm, but he still is expected to go.

Mercer Island coach Steve Stenberg said his league formed just four years ago and has one of the field’s youngest teams, with five 11-year-olds.

“No, the Northwest is not a superpower,” Stenberg admitted.

South Shore, which trades it blue and red jerseys for orange today, has karma on its side. They’ll receive another peppy pregame phone call from Rockies pitcher Jason Marquis, who played on South Shore’s 1991 World Series entrant. And they expected a phone call from ex-Met Mike Piazza, a friend of coach Glen Morisano, who is the father of the team’s catcher. In addition, Mayor Mike Bloomberg and former Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina will be in the stands.

Then there’s the spirits of deceased firefighter Mike Cammarata, a right fielder on the 1991 team who died in the September 11 attack of the World Trade Center. In the 1991 scorebook, chillingly, Cammarata has 9-11 by his name, for position-jersey number.

And in the dugout today, the players will hang the framed picture of South Shore LL founder Tom Tolino, who died in February. Tolino’s initials are written inside the player’s caps, carrying on Staten Island’s proud LL tradition.